Foxface's Tale
by DarkQueenDreamer
Summary: The untold tale of the quiet girl with hair like true fire, a fox-like face, and quiet possibly the smartest one of them all. Foxface/Thresh. Somewhat canon.
1. Destined to Shine

**Author's Note:** Hello readers! This is going to be quite the long read here, so brace yourselves! I want to keep it as canon as possible but with my own add-ins and such, and also contains pairings. Enjoy!

**Summary:** The untold tale of the quiet girl with hair like true fire, a fox-like face, and quiet possibly the smartest one of them all. Foxface/Thresh. Somewhat canon.

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing of the Hunger Games. Suzanne Collins owns all rights, the characters, and etc. This little plotline here for the fic does belong to me though. However the possibility of Foxface's true name being Marissa is not my idea. That name was originally written down for an earlier draft of the movie script, so I don't own that either.

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><p><span>Foxface's Tale<span>

1. Destined to Shine

There was a gentle knock on the door, and she turned to the opposite direction of the wall. Sitting on the bed with her arms crossed, she was still angry and didn't want to hear it. She knew her father was on the other side, about to come in and give her a lecture for her wrongful actions.

"Sweetie?" her father's compassionate voice murmured through the door. But she made no such reply, because she knew once she gave into an argument she was going to end up losing it. After all, she was merely a 'small child' who knew no better.

"I brought you a piece of pie." her father Nico says after another moment of silence. She snaps her head up in surprise, for treats like these are quite hard to come by for her family. District 5 and it's citizens live in the utter most average and basic life, it's not uncommon though that some are nearly as rich as those living in District 1. But it is also common for some of those to struggle with money, such as her family. Her heart falters with guilt and she quickly limps off the bed to open the door.

Her father wasn't lying. He stood in front of the door, at the height of six feet at least, and in his large hands is a plate that held a single slice of a berry pie. Judging from the dark slightly purplish color, she realizes that he also managed to purchase her favorite flavor of pie, blueberry. Her stomach growls and she thinks about greedily snatching it for herself, but she doesn't. She slowly reaches out gratefully to take it, when suddenly her father gasps and moves it high above from her grasp.

"Marissa! This a Nightlock berry pie!" her father gasps fearfully.

Five year old Marissa Averix is horrified and backs away from it with widened eyes like the pie is a ticking bomb. Her father's panicked face slowly melts into a cheesy smile and he chuckles.

"Got you kiddo!" he says with a wink. Marissa's cheeks light up to a reddish color that stood out from her fire red hair. Oh how embarassed she felt, for each and every time er father claimed something was poisonous or going to explode, she fell for it. She was a naturally cautious child, never wanting to risk anything or make a gamble with her life.

"That wasn't funny Daddy." she said, pouting and going right back to her bitter mood she was in before. Marissa's father smiled and sat next to her on the bedside, offering her up the slice of pie, but she refused to so much as glance at it. So her father took out the fork and slowly raised a huge piece of it towards his mouth, until she gave in.

"Wait!" she said, with pleading amber eyes. They are her mother's eyes, the ame glowing ones that he fell in love with years ago. It's one of the traits from his daughter that he thinks is the most breah-taking.

He smiles and hands her the plate and a fork, and within seconds Marissa is gobbling down the pie in seconds. She feels guilty that her father went out of her way to get her a sweet when she didn't earn it with her behavior. She had thrown a temper tantrum when neither parent had given her the attention she craved for. They were always too busy tending to their other daughter, a gorgeous newborn called Thalia. Thalia is also (and obviously) Marissa's sister, and the girl that Marissa envies so.

"Do you know why your mother sent you to your room Marissa?" Marissa's father inquired. Marissa nearly choked as she swallowed the last piece of the blueberry pie. She hangs her head low and feeks a wave of guilt rush over her. She should've known better that this was going to be a guilty pleasure with him lecturing her shortly after. After all, why else would she just be rewarded?

"Daddy I'm sorry. I just hate how you an' Mommy love Thalia more than me." Marissa admits with her head hung low. All they ever did was croon over Thalia and take care of. Whenever she so much as made the tiniest cry both parents ran towards her like it was an important emergency and got all the attention and things she wanted. In Marissa's eyes, Thalia was smart and selfish. Smart enough to figure out ways to manipulate her parents to get what she wanted, and when she was going to grow up, not only would she be far more beautiful than Marissa, but she would get everything she wanted. Marissa dreaded that day when it would come.

Marissa's father though was taken back. He could see the sadness in his daughter's eyes and sighed, he couldn't blame her. He had a family consisting of four brothers, and he had been the third one born. When his fourth brother Ted came along, the two did nothing but argue and bicker. His younger brother always got everything he wanted while Marissa's father was left out and ignored. At a particular fight, he hadn't been able to stand it, he had wished that Ted would be picked in the approaching Hunger Games,

And unfortunately, that came true.

Ted's death haunted Marissa's father. His death was a nightmare that always played back in his mind, along with the horror of the rest of the games. Nico had been reluctant when his wife Runa had begged for children, oh how she longed for them. Nico's worst nightmares consisted of Ted and Marissa being selected in the Games, and so from there on he prayed each and every day that it would never come. Now with Thalia, he couldn't bear to see a repeat of himself and Ted occuring with Marissa and Thalia.

"That's not true Marissa." Nico finally answers after being silent for what felt like the longest time. He grabbed his eldest daughter and engulfed her in a tight hug, stroking some of her thick fire red hair. "We love you like you are our world. You _and_ Thalia. But Thalia's just a baby, she can't fend for herself right now. But you can." he says, looking meaningfully into Marissa's amber eyes.

Marissa is puzzled. So if her father trying to tell her that she's better off without them? Her father reads this expression off her face and quickly explains.

"Meaning that you are very independent for your age Marissa. Your mother and I are in total awe at your intelligence, your common and cautious sense. All of it." he said gently, running his hand through a piece of her hair that covered a part of her face. Marissa no longer seemed puzzled, but it didn't cheer her up as he had expected it to.

"But I'm not as pretty as Thalia. And she's just a stinking baby. I bet she's gonna be a perfect princess when she grows up." Marissa muttered bitterly, her eyes narrowed and staring to the floor. Marissa wasn't entirely insecure, but when in the same room with Thalia, she felt like an awkward ugly duckling. After all she was too pale, with fire red hair that often ended up frizzy, and large amber bug eyes while Thalia was this glowing, angelic faced, blond blue eyed beauty.

"Marissa Averix, you are beautiful. Don't you ever doubt yourself on that, but just fo the record beauty isn't everything. It's not who you are entirely." Nico said sternly.

"But Daddy, everybody always looks at Thalia. She gets all the attention-"

"Because she is a baby Marissa. But you're a catch too you know. You have your own witty way with catching people's attention." Nico interjected, and smiled.

"Someday, you're going to be a big show stealer kiddo. You know that?" he said, brushing away another strand of hair from Marissa's face. He cupped her face, which made her pouty face crack and she ended up giggling and smiling.

"Really?" she asked, sounding more cheerful. At the same time she also felt tired. Marissa gave a big yawn and as much as she tried to fight it, she felt tired now. She quickly crawled under the covers of her bed, and Nico kissed her forehead and nodded.

"Marissa, fate can be a funny thing. But I just know it you're destined to shine. Shine brighter than any of the stars in the night sky." Nico whispered softly as he slowly got up and closed the door.

"Goodnight." he whispered just as he disappeared behind the tiniest creak of the closed door. Darkness covered the room now, with the stars outside the window being Marissa's only source of light. She turned over and stared at them in awe, thinking over what her father had told her. She smiled brightly to the stars and before closing her eyes though to herself;

_"Someday, I'm gonna be a bigger star then all you stars."_

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><p><strong>Sadly so, Foxface would get her wish.<strong>


	2. She Regarded it as a Death Sentence

2. She Regarded It as a Death Sentence

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><p><em>10 Years Later...<em>

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><p>According to Nico, there was the sound of a sudden thud. Almost as if someone in the room had carelessly dropped a heavy vase that was the type that luckily didn't break. Or perhaps it was the sound of thunder from a fitting storm to crowd over this gloomy and dreadful day.<p>

Or perhaps it was the realization of his world crashing down.

His mind was numb and the doors on his ears had slammed shut, secluding his mind away from the rest of the world and the wary eyes of the crowds. All he could see was the flashing comparisons of Marissa to Ted. Both walking in the same frozen and shocked state, with widened but emotionless eyes, with time standing still for an entire minute.

It would be Runa to break the silence with the sound of her horrified screams.

"Not my baby! NOOO! ! !" she screeched, with adrenaline coarsing through her veins. It was a natural matenral instinct for a mother to be protective of their child, no matter what the situation was. She had started to run, but was restrained by merciless Peacekeepers who warned her in a 'hush hush' tone that if she attempted to pull another hysterical act again that she would be shot down.

It took Nico a minute to realize he had fallen to his knees. It took a minute for him to realize that the rather warm liquid that was pouring down his cheeks at a fast rate were silent, thick tears.

But it didn't even take him a nanosecond to realize that his daughter had been sentenced to death in the same manner his brother had.

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><p><em>Hours Before<em>

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><p>"Why? Why would you put your name for tesserae? !" Thalia sobbed, practically shaking all over her body.<p>

Marissa hadn't expected the announcement to be taken so emotionally negatively. They all knew, namely her parents, that this year was going to be hard on them. They barely made enough to get by, and the neighbors couldn't always spare sympathy and their food to them as well. Even when District 5 had a good year and was well to do, the people of it acted as though this were an eternal game of survival of the fittest. There was no time to pity over others. So, Marissa had made the mature decision to do what was best.

"You know that we needed the food this year. Thalia, you're a growing girl and you need this." Marissa said soothingly, shushing her sister and stroking some of her soft blond hair. This sentence only makes Thalia cry harder with more guilt, now lead to believe this was her fault. It wasn'y as though all of the submitted female names were just hers alone, there was still a small chance of Marissa being chosen.

"I can take extra shifts sweetheart. I might be an old war horse but I'm not quite beat down yet." Nico said quietly before coughing. He wished that hadn't happened, for that small little cough was enough evidence for Marissa to defend herself. Her father was indeed beat down, he had always worked hard to provide for the family. But destiny was not kind to him in return, for he had developed a sickness that never seemed to go away. As much as she dreaded the feeling, Marissa knew for a fact deep down that if her father were to overwork himself this year, it would be his last year of life overall.

"No you can't Daddy. We all knew this was our only option. I'll be fine." Marissa assured, nodding sternly. For a moment it felt as though the roles were reversed between one another once Marissa briefly reflected back to the conversation from ten years ago. Now it was her giving the assured advice to her father.

"She's right Nico. I hate to admit as much as you do, but we're both thinking the same thing. We needs this tesserae, and you heard what Trishten said. He was done attempting to supply for the both of us." Runa said softly, sniffling. She had been the first to break down when Marissa had informed everyone she had put her name in twice the amount then what was required. Even now after being silent for a few minutes her glowing amber eyes still looked a little red and damp, and her blond hair was ruffled as she nearly tore some of it out in horror from what her daughter had said.

The name of Trishten brought in a bitter silence. He was a fellow neighbor who could've gotten away with claiming he really lived along one of the richer districts such as 1 or 2. He never had to worry about starvation like the entire Averix family did. Even though the status between one another was merely neighbors, Trishten saw this as a chance to grab some power for himself. He made Marissa's parents run errands for him and such as if they were his own personal Avoxs. Even at times he would summon Marissa, and oh how she loathed him. He had a cruel gaze in his wicked lumber brown colored eyes that were dark enough to be the color of District 12's finest coal. At times he would stare at her quite inappropriately but otherwise it was a stare that more or less said _"I have the power to own you, little slave."_

"I'm only fifteen, Daddy. My name is going to be in there quite as much as all the eighteen year olds." Marissa quietly said, as her father continued to shake his head. She couldn't tell if it was for disapproval or for denial, like he was already experiencing a wave of nightmarish visions where it was she would be reaped.

"Fate is a bitch when it comes to who of those she has in favor on this unholy day..." Nico murmured. Marissa could tell he was thinking her uncle Ted. She had never met him of course, but when she had gotten older her parents had explained to her about him. Nico never explained the true feeling he had of the regret of all those words he had said to Ted the day before he had been reaped, but Marissa knew that was something best left unsaid. She could see it from the look of his eyes of how he longed to take that day back. He blamed himself for the loss of his brother.

Marissa decided it was best not to argue then because now he was dealing with similar emotions, now with his own daughter. One could only guess the awful thoughts running through his head about how his daughter was making mature sacrifices for the entire family, while here he was weak and old with limited abilities now.

Thalia took her sister's hand and lead her upstairs to her room so the two could decorate one another.

"Kinda last minute choice, doncha think?" Thalia asked quietly while brushing her soft blond hair for appeared to be the fiftieth time. Marissa would never understand why her sister felt the need to hog the brush from her. Thalia's hair was as soft as a feather, so gently and rarely ever knotted. It was Marissa who needed the brush right now, her hair was as frizzy as ever now and her strands of hair were probably mating with one another as she stood, intertwining to make a hellish challenge of knots for her to deal with.

But when Marissa saw her sister mouth the number to herself, she soon realized Thalia was counting the number of brushes on purpose. She was just trying to distract herself from the current situation and possibilities.

"Here, let's braid your hair today. Would you like that?" Marissa offered, taking a hairband into her hand and approaching Thalia. But Thalia turned away and shook her head, not wanting to style it into anything. This was quite unusual, for Thalia loved to decorate herself in any way she could. Thalia reminded Marissa of those porcelean dolls she would see when leaving home from school and window shopping. During Christmas time all the other girls were spoiled rotten with about five or six of these dolls, all while Marissa was still trying to save up even now with the little money Trishten paid her to get a doll for Thalia.

"I don't care about looking pretty. I don't want to look pretty when there's a chance you're gonna die." Thalia said hoarsely, sniffling. Her eyes welled up with more tears ready to fall once again, but Marissa gently wiped them away. She sat Thalia's bed and took Thalia to sit on her lap.

"Listen Thalia, I'm not going to get picked. Nothing bad is going to happen." Marissa assured, hugging her sister. Still this left Thalia unsettled.

"But what if-"

"Hey." Marissa interjected, pulling away and grinning from ear to ear. "I'm fast. And I've got some brains you know. You can't count me out that fast." she said with a wink.

Thalia smiled, and both sisters were now with an enlightented attitude that this would merely be a passing day. Perhaps with a few innocent worries, but they would turn out to be nothing. The weight would be lifted off their shoulders like it was never there, and everything would soon go back to normal.

"Can you braid my hair, Marissa?" Thalia asked sweetly, holding up the brush that had been left on drawer when she sat on Marissa's lap.

Marissa smiled, deciding she would deal with her frizzy hair later and instead help with Thalia's braid.

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><p><em>Minutes Before<em>

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><p>It seemed silly. In a way she almost felt guilty as well. Here were these mothers and fathers trying to remain as strong as possible, some unable to hold it in and weeping. There were those who could not be separated from their children, especially the youngest once. They were clinging onto their mothers and fathers, fearing for their lives.<p>

And yet here was Marissa who earlier before was fussing about her and her sister's hair, thinking nothing of it over the chance she could be chosen. But that was a worst case scenario, that still of course she hoped wouldn't come to be.

_'Everything is going to be. Everything is going to be just fine.' _Marissa thinks to herself over and over, all while fidgeting with pieces of peach colored dress. Her amber eyes glanced over towards Thalia, who was standing in the far back crowd with their mother and father. Thalia dressed up still even though she hadn't had her name submitted. Personally Marissa shuddered at the fear of when her time would come within the next two years. It was a feeling of uselessness MArissa got whenever she dwelled on it, perhaps the same her father had felt when she turned twelve or when Ted had been chosen. How there was the inability to protect their own little sibling.

Her skin flared with goosebumps, but Marissa quickly erased those thoughts away. Nothing was going to happen, everything was going to be just fine. And the way she kept telling herself these thoughts was like an encouraging doctor to a person who was going to be just fine.

Or not.

_'There's a one in a million chance you are going to be picked Marissa Averix. One in a million.' _she told herself while feeling suddenly so isolted. About fifty people of her own age, known or strangers, surrounded her as an anxious crowd. But Marissa felt as though she had drifted far away from reality, and now it was her against a jar that held countless pieces of papers- with some of those with her name written on it.

For an entire minute there was nothing but deafening silence when the escort finishes what he was saying for his announcement, and choses for ladies to go first.

For an entire minute, this escort became God. Today he was about to unknowingly determine who was going to live to see another day or not, Marissa included.

She numb before she even knew that 'God' chose to strike her down, as he withdrew the card, opened it quickly as if enthusiastic, and reads the name.

_"Marissa Averix!"_

The worlds of three specific people stopped that day; her family.

All while Marissa's quickly embraced the idea of hers coming to an end.

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><p><strong>Dun dun dun! :)<strong>


	3. A Doomed Duo

3. A Doomed Duo

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><p>The next few hours of Marissa's life feel like a blur. Almost as if watching the train that would carry the District 5 tributes speed off before anyone could properly blink.<p>

Her mother is hysterical, but her father is a man with a face of true defeat. Not the type of honor, but pure fault and shame. She knows that if he could, he would gladly volunteer to take her place. But the fact remains that is impossible, and even if by the most insane chance he could, this would be his own death sentence instead. Thalia needed her father, Runa needed her husband, so in a sense Marissa had decided that it was for the best.

Thalia blames herself as well, even though there is not a single sheet of paper in that jar that contained her name. Everyone has themselves wrapped around Marissa, holding her, stroking her red colored hair, smoothering her with countless wet kisses. Those kisses were wet because of all the tears being shed at the same time. Normally her parents are strong even in the most toughest situations, but who can try and act like an unmoved stone when there's a chance your own child will be dead within a week without a choice?

"I can win this." Marissa says defiantly in the midst of all the tears. She can't recall when she said this, how, or honestly why. She is far from one of the superior fighters from the higher ranked districts where they have trained thier children to kill for all their lives.

She recalls when her father had told her that one day she was going to shine brighter than the stars. The only way she can see this fitting to the situation now is when the spotlight would gleam upon her face and blind her during the interview with Caeser Flickerman. She might've wanted attention as a child, but now she feels foolish for ever making that wish as a child. Because Fate has given her her longed desire all right, but only in the most twisted way. Then again her father had warned her fate was a bitch.

Somewhere along the lines of the last minutes her parents are allowed to say their goodbyes, Marissa tells Thalia to be strong. She's certain she must've said something like that at one point while in her blurred phase. And finaly after exchanging 'I love yous' to each of her parents, the Peacekeepers forced them out.

Anything that her parents might've told her has been completely forgotten. Normally she is one with perfect memory and never forgets no matter what, but she feels as though she's been plunged into such a darkness that has left her blind and deaf. The shock really has overwhelmed her, but Marissa cannot cry. She told Thalia she was going to win, and she must prove this by being strong. Not just strong with strength, but emotionally as well.

But so many emotions run through her heart as it races so fast. The horror and disbelief she has been chosen, it's as if her assurance she wasn't going to get picked had jinxed her luck. She is terrified of going into a bloodbath and possibly being amongst the fallen ones. She is disgusted that the Capitol finds this entertaining, and on top of that she must actually get them to _like_ her in order to survive. She hates the idea of having to kill someone, anyone, of any sort of age.

And even though never before in her life had she cared much on the Capitol, an alien rage coarsed through Marissa's veins with such hatred. It's not fair! Why does she have to go? ! Why? ! She was only trying to help her family! She doesn't want to kill anybody! And the circumstances are so unfair!

She bites down on her tongue so hard she swears she can taste her own metallic and salty blood to restrain herself from saying any profanity on the Capitol. Because it's a well known fact that if the Hunger Games or a natural life don't kill you, the Capitol will. Talking badly about them is a worse death sentence, and Marissa already had enough weight on her shoulders to deal with now.

She hadn't been paying attention to the male tribute who had been selected. She was so frozen upon walking up to the stage, frozen in a gaze to the endless skies and faraway hills. She was too busy contemplating over trying to run for her life over the fences and beyond, a completely stupid idea in reality, but a nice distraction. Marissa had never once turned to look over to see the poor boy forced to this fight as well. She hadn't even perked her ears when the escort called the other name with the same sick enthusiasm.

When she is boarding the train that will escort them to the Capitol, she looks to her right and sees the fairly young figure standing beside her. It is the male tribute of course, his face only barely recognizable for the fact that he goes to the same school as her. Whether or not it is the same grade she can't even bother to remember right now, and even if he was it didn't matter. At school Marissa considered herself an outcast for her shy attitude and how she preferred reading and quiet time rather than a group of loud and obnoxious friends/followers.

The boy has dark hair and very tanned skin, almost an orange color to be truthful. He has dark gleaming eyes, but they seemed to have a bored expression. Maybe he's hiding up his emotions, for surely this boy isn't insane to actually want to hurry things up and get on with the games. Marissa doesn't know, and in a way she doesn't want to bother. Even if she ends up befriending him, it'll still come down to being only one winner. She is already dreading the idea that _if_ she makes it to the final two, and by chance it is with him, it would be better to have it done and overwith then with no strings attached.

But even thinking about that just makes Marissa sick to her stomach. What is more heartless after all? A murderer or the oen who stands by heartlessly and watches the victim die?

The boy appears neither strong nor smart. But who says you have to ave the actual appearance of looking smart? This kid could be the next technical genius of District 5. Or the proper term is _could've been_.

"Shit we're screwed." she can hear him mutter under his breath with much bitterness. She does not know who he is exactly referring to or in what way. Is he talking about the both of them? He noticed that he had taken a quick glance to her as well before saying that, so maybe he is judging on her. Marissa does not know whether to take this as a compliment or an insult. Is he afraid of her? Or does he think she is weak and he expected a better female tribute.

Whatever the case was, it also appeared this boy wasn't very kind either.

All Marissa can think to herself is how lucky she is the Hunger Games doesn't require any sort of teamwork, this is all on independence and survival of the fittest. Because if it was, it wouldn't matter about their combined strengths or skills.

They'd be a doomed duo.

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><p><strong>Aw man, no reviews. :( C'mon guys please, will somebody, anybody please just give this fic a chance?<strong>


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